A Battle of Hearts and Minds
by down-understudios
Summary: When Dahak's intentions of ruling both Olympus and Earth with an all new line of Destroyers bleeds into the picture, will wicked betrayals and unexpected deaths finally overcome Xena's thirst for revenge with the darkness of hatred and violence, or is there still time to save the day? How will Gabrielle cope, and what do a God of War, a rose and Callisto have in common?
1. Under Your Skin

**Title: A Battle of Hearts and Minds  
Author: **© DUS & Xentrya

**Couple: **X/A  
**Rating: **NC-17. Sex, Violence/Death, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Angst, Friendship, Adventure.

**Setting: **Primarily S4 with mentions to S1-S2-S3-S6**  
****Summary: **All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream. - _Edgar Allan Poe._

Of course they also say 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,' but when Dahak's intentions on ruling both Olympus and Earth once and for all with a new line of Destroyers bleeds into the picture, will wicked betrayals and unexpected deaths finally overcome Xena's thirst for revenge with the darkness of hatred and violence, or is there still time to save the day?

How will Gabrielle cope, and what do a God of War, a rose and Callisto have in common?

**AN: **There are no words to express the depth of my gratitude to my wonderful friend and collab partner 'Xentrya' who has given generously her time and attention; without her, I wouldn't be learning or having as much fun as we both do now, and finally, this story would not be what it is today.

To the many fans of FFN and Xena who have read and are continually offering their encouragement and advice to our stories, this one's for you guys!

Of course, these acknowledgments would not be complete without paying respect to the series and many works of fiction of both Buffy: TVS and Xena: WP, or two amazing authors who provided me all the inspiration and courage to start writing my own. Thank you Tango and Ladykate!

**Disclaimer: **All audio FX (Partners in Rhyme), Bible readings/references, Aesop's fables, **instrumental** songs and lyrics used to convey mood/meaning are the sole property of their respective owners, including a film quotation as well as any characters and or settings belonging to the XV Creators, Ren Pictures & Universal Studios. No profit is made or intended from the writing of this fiction.

* * *

***NOTE*** If you like to play trivia games; see if you can find and answer the following questions below and we'll give an award out to the spotter who can figure out as many clues as possible. Just post your answers in the review section.

**1) **Locate and name the chapter with the Bible psalm – Isaiah 40:31 used from the NLT (New Living Translation) as well as the first temptation of Christ

**2)** Name three songs + their lyric lines used as dialogue from the song list below

**3) **Name two bands + their songs regarding lyrics used as 'descriptions'

**4) **Identify a line of lyrics used from song artist Toto in the track "Africa"

**5) **Name the title of a famous novel written + published in 1994 along with a film adaptation in 1999 by American writer David Guterson; used as a description

**6) **Find and name a quote from the James Cameron movie 'The Terminator'

**7) **Name the title of a paranormal/suspense novel written & published in 1999 as part of the first of 23 series by American author Christine Feehan; used as a pseudonym for Ares

**8) ***Special Challenge* How many Xena and Hercules episodes can you identify and name, along with their seasons within this fiction?

* * *

** ~SONG LIST~ **

**#1. **Pet shop Boys – It's a Sin **#2. **Alice Cooper – Poison **#3. **Nicole Scherzinger – Don't hold your Breath** #4.** Birds of Tokyo – The Gap **#5. **Snow Patrol – Perfect little Secret **#6. **30 Seconds to Mars – The Kill **#7. **Saliva – Always **#8. **White Town – Your Woman **#****9. **Snow Patrol - Make this go on Forever **#****10. **Billy Joel – She's always a Woman **#****11. **Snow Patrol – Just say Yes **#****12. **Bleeding Through – Love in slow Motion **#****13. **ENIGMA – Boum Boum **#14. **Keith Jarret – Don't ever leave Me **#****15. **Brittany Spears – Toxic **#****16.** Example – Changed the way you kissed Me **#****17. **B.o.B – Ghost in the Machine **#****18. **MC Magic – Princess **#19. **Manafest - Impossible

**#20. **Lady Gaga – Bad Romance **#****21. **Beyoncé (ft) Eminem – Love the way you Lie **#****22. **Judas Priest – Turbo Lover **#****23. **Cher – I love making love to You **#****24. **Katie Perry – E.T **#25. **Melanie C – Ga Ga **#****26. **Eskimo Joe – Foreign Land **#****27. **Linkin Park – Faint **#****28. **Crossfade - Cold **#****29. **Michelle Branch – Goodbye to You **#****30. **Barcelona – Please don't Go **#****31. **Oliver Derivier/Mystery of the Bulgarian Voice Choir – Who am I **#****32. **Adele – Set fire to the Rain **#****33. **Bon Jovie – Love is War **#****34. **Lady Gaga – I like it Rough **#****35. **Eminem – I love you More **#36. **Oliver Derivier/Mystery of the Bulgarian Voice Choir – Crying New York **#37. **Kelly Clarkson – Tell me a Lie **#38. **Reveille – Modified Lie **#39. **Korn – Tear me Down

**#40. **Evanescence – Thoughtless **#41. **Bon Jovie – Wanted dead or Alive **#42. **t.A.T.u. – Perfect Enemy **#43. **t.A.T.u – Friend or Foe **#44. **Marabou Sheila – Now he's Mine **#45. **Nickelback – When we stand Together **#46. **Silverstein – The End **#47. **Sarah McLachlan – Answer **#48. **Alanis Morisset – Uninvited **#49. **Bruno Mars – Just the way you Are **#50. **Mona Lisa Overdrive (A2) – Chosen One **#51. **Mutemath - You are Mine **#52. **Vanessa Williams – You don't have to say you're Sorry **#53. **Ozark Henry – Me and my Sister **#54. **Icehouse – Hey little Girl **#55. **Simple Minds - Don't you (Forget about Me) **#56. **30 Seconds to Mars – Hurricane **#57.** Bosson – One in a Million **#58. **Bush – The sound of Winter **#59. **A Day To Remember – Have faith in Me

**#60. **Selena Gomez – Trust in Me **#61. **Potbelleez – Trouble, Trouble **#62. Edward Patrick White – Alpha Dog, Battlefield ****#63. ****Joseph Lo Duca – X:WP Callisto theme ****#64. **Ipnorospi – Every time we Fight **#65. ****Eskimo Joe – Comfort Me, reprise ****#66. **Leona Lewis – I don't want to hurt You **#67. ****Peter Hofmann – Beauty & the Beast Prologue (THEV) ****#68. ****Robert Miles – Children (DRMV) ****#69. **Disturbed – Land of Confusion **#70. **Coheed & Cambria – Deranged **#71. ****Two Steps From Hell – Am I not Human ****#72. **Three Day's Grace – Pain **#73. ****Robert Duncan – The final Fight (Chosen) ****#74. ****Christopher Beck – Sacrifice ****#75. **Avenged Sevenfold – Fiction **#76. **Avenged Sevenfold – So far Away **#77. **Within Temptation – Shot in the Dark **#78. **Within Temptation – Lost **#79. **Brittany Spears – And then we Kiss

**#80. **Evanescence - What you want **#81. **Phil Collins – No son of mine **#82. **Good Charlotte – Victims of Love **#83. **Shakin Stevens – You drive me Crazy **#84. **Skillet – Yours to Hold **#85. **A Fine Frenzy – Almost Lover **#86. **Depeche Mode – Master and Servant **#87. **Skillet – Dead Inside **#88. **Katie Melua –When you taught me how to Dance **#89. **Animotion – Obsession **#90. **Mandy Moore – I wanna be with You **#91. **Florence And The Machine – Never let me Go **#92. **Nightwish – While your lips are still Red **#93. **The Temper Trap – Trembling Hands **#94. **Marc Et Claude – Tremble **#95. **Tom Jones – She's a Lady **#96. **Puddle Of Mudd – Control **#97. **Diana Ross – Kiss me Now **#98. **Toby Keith – Hold you, kiss you, love You **#99. **Seether (ft) Amy Lee – Broken

**#100. **Within Temptation – I don't Wanna **#101.** Within Temptation – What have you Done **#102. ** Within Temptation – The last Dance **#103. ** Maroon 5 – One more Night **#104. **Nickelback – This means War **#105. ** Mudvayne – Happy **#106. ** Ben Mood (ft) Anastacia – Everything Burns **#107. ** This Providence – A wolf in sheep's Clothing **#108. ** George Thorogood and the Destroyers – Bad to the Bone/Mumford & Sons – White blank Page **#109. ** Skillet – Monster **#110. ** Three Days Grace – Animal I have Become **#111. ** The Exies – My Goddess **#112. **Sia – My Love **#113. **Within Temptation – Empty Eyes **#114. ** Robbie Williams -Different

* * *

**Please review! You don't know how much it means to an Author to get a review on their Fanfic and to know if you're enjoying it or if we need improvement. Believe me; it makes us want to write more for you. **

* * *

**~ Chapter One ~**

**Under Your Skin**

* * *

One glance... that's all it took to read the subtle sign of irritation that'd slowly etched its way across the Bard's face before all attention was once again focused onto the sword she was sharpening; each long and decisive stroke across the blade becoming more precise than the last, making it evident something had been bothering Xena too.

Sighing heavily, she mumbled softly under her breath, realizing the God had been there watching.

Even the mere thought of him keeping tabs on their Group irked the crap out of her, well, that and the fact she could feel every inch of his being crawling and burning through the veins right under her skin.

One of the many gifts Ares had bestowed... the ability to sense when his Godly presence was around, oh joy!

She gazed up at the Bard once more, making a direct gesture towards the large mass of body sitting contently next to the simmering fire.

"Hey Gabrielle, stay here with Joxer. I'll be back in a minute."

With that, Xena was off, sword gripped firmly in hand while traipsing through a small and gloomy opening lingering in the woods.

She need not have waited long though, having frozen and spun quickly around; black bangs falling lightly over her shoulder and landing across the elaborate metal of her breast-plate in the process.

"You know, I've heard bells are in fashion this year. You should definitely look into them!" She spat, raising the steel's knife forcibly into the opaque air wafting in front of her.

Perhaps an empty threat, but nonetheless she'd wanted to make it clear; his precise method of announcement was beginning to drive her body crazy!

"Bells...?" The God replied, lasciviously raising an eyebrow while closing the distance between them.

He was now inches apart, breathing hard on her lips, watching her, sensing her body tensing, responding to his closeness, almost feeling her heart hammering against his chest, and all he could think of, despite her looking daggers at him, was possessing her, over and over again, not ever letting her leave his arms.

But that was far from happening and he knew it. And yet, he needed to touch her.

So, carefully raising his left arm, he tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear while allowing himself to drown in her impossible blue eyes.

Licking his lips, he let a playful smile take over, fully aware of the fact that what he was about to say could very likely trigger an unpleasant reaction out of her.

"Very funny Princess, but I hate to break it to you. I'm more of an old fashion guy... God... I'm more for the... personal interaction. You should know that by now." He hesitantly added, while inhaling the sensuous perfume of her skin.

Even his pressing proximity was enough to heat her inner core, and yet, Xena continually managed to conceal the immense rush of pleasure travelling throughout her body.

A brow lifted, almost tempting as the traces of a small smirk began to play freely across her features while a firmly rounded fist was raised, threatening to do some serious remodeling.

"I bet you say that to all the Warriors you visit?" She teased.

An expression of content filled Ares' features nonetheless, as he quickly noticed Xena's somewhat playful mood, carefully concealing the surprise her reaction had plunged him into.

"Ouch! Come now Sweet!" The God replied on a so called 'hurt' tone, while covering her fist with both of his palms and delicately opening it, just to bring it slowly to his lips and plant a gentle, almost erotic kiss on the back of her wrist.

"Have a little faith will you? Have I ever given you any reason not to trust me?" He added, an innocent look glued across his face, but radiating of bewilderment, the whole scene reminding him of one of Aristophanus' lame comedies.

The steely gaze Xena was holding, and so often grown accustomed to, could easily have been ample enough to intimidate any know contender, the fact that it was now Ares who stood before her though, roughly forced the Warrior to draw upon a more tactile solution.

The reality that she'd even allowed her body to enjoy the pleasures of his alluring embraces, those gentle caresses... literally compelled her guts to twist and turn violently inside.

Perhaps she could willingly convince herself it was simply just a mind over matter thing, her way of toying with the God, and nothing more?

Then her position was nimbly shifted and followed by a less than constrained swallow as she let her tongue promptly slide over too-dry a lips.

He'd still been tightly gripping her wrist when she decided to execute her plan and completely close the gap lingering between them, fully permitting every curve of that voluptuous body of hers to press lightly against his burning flesh, to warm her very senses.

"Spare me, Ares." A short and breathy response returned, one particularly hot against the God's lips and forever tempting him to taste her.

Never once did Xena miss a beat. The God was practically renowned for his issues concerning the entire trust factor, and she'd be damned to bloody Tartarus if she was going to let him slide that easily under the radar.

"Why are you really here?" The quizzical question was raised, before her breath slightly hitched as something extremely hard and firm grazed boldly against her inner thigh.

Ares' breath stopped for a moment, as feeling his Princess' body so unbearably close to his own and clearly perceiving the challenge coming from it.

He was never able to ignore the way she could make his immortal blood rush through his veins, crashing inside his heart like waves to the shore, the rhythm of his pulse reaching impossible levels, making him dizzy, forcing him to lose all trace of control, her proximity slowly driving him crazy, and it took all of his Godly will not to respond to his so immediate urges, restraining himself to devour her, starting with those hot, tempting lips of hers.

No... not yet anyway.

He had to play the game first, had to make her desperately wish for him to kiss her, and he could already imagine his wet tongue, slowly tracing the contour of her mouth before licking and sucking her lower lip.

The mere thought of it made his body react, his every fiber screaming for him to touch her, to taste her.

With a flinch, the God of War was back to reality.

His gaze still fixed on Xena's dry lips, her eyes searching for an answer which she never seemed to find when it came to him, and a small mysterious smile escaped his lips, aware of the effect he had on her, feeling the heat coming from that seductive body of hers, pleasure written all over her face.

"Why am I always here?" He answered, the tip of his fingers lightly caressing her left cheek. "You tell me."

As a silent smile moved across Xena's beauteous face, she gradually allowed full lips to part in a way that was intentionally meant to invite the intense sensation of his tongue to mingle with that of her own.

She'd at least give him that; let him think he was somehow grasping a sense of control over her, even if it was really just an excuse to screw with his mind, the way he frequently did with her.

Whether Ares believed he could actually take full advantage of the opportunity and sample her though, was as good as anyone's guess.

Either way, Ares would still lose and Xena knew it.

If he surrendered, she'd have him wrapped tightly around her finger, and if he brushed it off, then he simply missed out.

The whole concept must have been playing delicately over in his mind too, as she tried to accelerate the decision with a painfully slow movement of her hips grinding ever so slightly against the erection straining clearly from within his tightly worn, leather clad garb.

Topping it off, she let her eyes close tightly, prohibiting the God from losing himself deeply inside those crystal blue pools as she embraced the tender touch of his fingers skimming lightly over her cheek, before abruptly cutting him short and reclaiming her hand and body once again from his persuasive possession.

Maybe not the best method of putting across the point that she completely loathed the way he continually dropped in on the Trio, always un-announced to everyone but her.

"To cause trouble, you always do, Olympus starting to become a bit of a bore huh?" Xena continued, swiftly taking a step back and enabling the sharp blade from the sword to rest gently against his chest.

As Ares' gaze shifted gradually onto the steely sword, and biting his lower lip, his ardent desires left hanging once more, he took it out of her hand, softly caressing her fingers in the process.

"You don't need this around me." He stated placidly, placing it back in her scabbard, where it belonged.

Looking Xena in the eyes, a short all-knowing glance, he adopted a rather casual pose, his back now leaning against a near-by tree.

"Trouble...? Me? Nuuuuh..." He added smiling, that gorgeous smile of his, that particular one he always used when flirting. "I've been behaving lately. Plus... can't I just drop by for a visit, to see how my absolutely stunning Chosen is doing?"

That being said, and without wasting any more words — not that he ever was the talkative type — the God started analyzing hungrily every inch of Xena's body, examining her from head to toe, resting his eyes on her full breasts, apparently contemplating the intricate design of her armour, but his mind was definitely wandering elsewhere, way beneath her black leather shift, fully aware of the fact that his close inspection of her always made her feel awkward.

Nevertheless, he kept on teasing her, forcing her out of her comfort zone; though he never quite understood why in Zeus' name that always bothered her.

There was not one muscle on her body that a decade of fighting hadn't perfectly shaped; she was more of a Goddess than a mere mortal, and he could never have found one single physical flaw if he wanted to.

Not to mention all those gracious catlike moves of hers. By all Gods of Olympus, he wasn't getting into that again.

"_You are meant to be mine Xena. My Warrior Princess living as my Warrior Queen, my Enyo, my Goddess."_

Now that was an exquisite thought that he could have never completely shut down, no matter how many sword fights, shouting and bumps he had to deal with because of it.

"I'm not your anything, Ares. Anyway, couldn't you of done that on Olympus? Perhaps borrowed a mirror from Aphrodite?"

She'd always considered herself as being the decisive type, and yet, Ares still found ways to prove her otherwise; the complete sincerity in his smile, and that voice, making it patently obvious.

She never could deny the fact that, yes, it bothered her some; especially when she caught sight of his gaze thoroughly running along the length of her body and emphasizing a fraction as they followed the swell of her breasts, or those perfect curves hugged fittingly by leather.

What was it he'd once said?

"_A God need never lie."_

Xena still didn't want to believe it, but he'd been absolutely right here, and she only had herself to blame for not figured it out earlier; particularly when having realized the Bastard had succeeded in his manipulation, had managed to get enough reaction out of her body to satisfy his somewhat more sensual urges, well, only for now...

The best part was that Ares had also allowed her to subconsciously do all the work, letting her become fooled even by her own dirty little plan.

She should have known the game had first begun the moment she'd felt his presence surging beneath her skin, it always did, and for whatever reason, she always let him.

Then that blazing fire within her eyes slowly began to return, as she lunged forward and pushed him brutally against the oak he'd casually been leaning back on.

"You're an Arse! Do it again, and I'll personally make sure your almighty title ends with 'God of Amaurosis'."

"Oh I like it when you play rough!" Ares replied on a tone breathing of desire, pride and eagerness.

"Just my kind of Gal...! Face it Xena! We're made for each other! All that rage laying inside you, just screaming to burst and tear the world apart, the fire burning in your eyes, all that passion... Oh yeah! As much as you hate to admit it, you're pretty much mine!"

And with that, he extended one hand, tracing around Xena's body a red, warm halo, feeding her a sweet taste of that unforgettable blood lust, violence, ambition and power that she was now trying so much to forget and deny.

It had the effect of pure heroin, numbing her senses on one side but also drilling an uncontrollable thirst for War, Conquest and Mayhem somewhere deep inside, rushing throughout her body with the speed and force of a hurricane.

Watching her enjoying it, her brash lips half parted, Ares felt a surge of energy entering his body; it was coming from his bond with Xena, and it was as sweet, deadly and irresistible as only poison could be.

Ecstasy, rough force, complete trust, a considerable amount of seductive darkness, and... something else he didn't dare to name yet.

It was all there, present in their unique connection, and when their eyes met, a soft moan escaped his lips, as a sensation very similar to orgasm ripped through their bodies, leaving them both breathless.

When it was over, regaining his composure once again and feeling air re-entering his lungs, he simply added as to prove a point.

"You were saying...?"

"So that's your game?" She sharply insinuated, the very tone of it rolling off of the tongue like a swift cut to the throat.

While Xena may not have completely understood it herself, the God certainly wasn't taking in the whole concept of rejection well.

Of course, he'd never really let it show, but in reality, the thought forever forced him into a particularly painful and seemingly desperate spiral to regain the shattered shards of a breaking heart, no matter how dire the consequences.

The irritated position Xena's stance now held, eagerly begged her entire being to pull away, and she would have done so sooner if it hadn't been for that exceedingly warm sensation that captured her body and emanated deep from within the fiery pit of her stomach, pulling forth and awakening the wrenchingly fierce dark past she so desperately tried to keep buried.

The sweet taste of power, that thrill of leading a colossal army towards victory, without the slightest chance of defeat and the destruction and bloody carnage left over from the aftermath; had become extensively intoxicating when the intense experiences swam vigorously through her mind and continually attempted to summon up the full rage and heat concealed under the thick layer she'd placed upon herself to chase away the menacing urges that were felt every time the blade of her sword sliced through an Enemy's raw flesh.

And then something extremely essential had firmly pulled her back into reality when she'd fought desperately to regain the need to breathe.

Gabrielle had been that bright light, the very essence of a Saviour she'd been searching for, and, despite how many times Xena often felt herself slipping deeply back into the ominous darkness, the Bard had always managed to keep her grounded.

A small trace of severe heartache incorporated her tone, as an expression of rough confusion slightly began to illustrate her features.

"You're trying to use my past against me?"

Just hearing herself utter the words gently, quickly turned all previous thoughts of uncertainty and allurement into a deadly visage.

And with teeth violently gritted against one another, she drew back a compact fist, throwing an enraged blow toward the God's face, catching him accurately across the jaw.

She didn't stick around to examine the full force of impact inflicted though, but instead strode irately back into the inviting glow of the compound, positioning herself comfortably between the Wannabe Hero and the sympathetic Bard as she stared solidly into the dancing flames, while bantam remnants of a once darker past echoed painfully throughout her mind.


	2. Past memories, Present pain

**~ Chapter Two ~**

**Past memories, Present pain**

* * *

With a thought, Ares vanished back into the quiescent, saturnine Halls of War, still rubbing his jaw, blasting to smithereens a black marble column that according to his interior design code didn't quite belong there.

A growl of frustration that was boiling inside his throat for a while now, made itself audible on an almost savage note, and, the next second, the Southern wall collapsed in a shower of lumber and dust, filling the air with the distasteful smell of dry sulphur and some subtle traces of copper as a cold shiver ran along his spine while the faded memory of another time and place curled like one of Medusa's snakes in a corner of his mind, unfolding before his eyes, lost images of the Battle of Megara.

Megara... He remembered it as if it were yesterday.

Though more than eight years had passed, it's every insignificant detail still haunted his indelible memory.

The dust on the soldier's boots, their exhausted and tired faces after an impossibly long march, his Princess's long raven hair shining like silk under the burning sun, the sweat dripping on her chest... that dry, torrid, meaningless day, which in a matter of hours turned itself into the live canvas of slaughter and death, the inhuman groans of the fallen ones, filling the entire space between Earth and Olympus.

Riding ahead of his army, Xena was screaming her God's name, parts of the Athenian reinforcements dropping at her feet like flies, and Ares could never think of a time when she had a more Immortal aura glowing around her.

On that battlefield, she seemed stripped of any trace of Mortality, and the rages of war, the sight of the blood slowly seeping down her blade, gave her the appearance of an Angel of Death.

Intoxicated with the smell of already decomposing flesh, the image of the Enemy's blood soaking the ground, those soldiers were seeing in Xena the embodiment of the real Goddess of the Underground, and they would have followed her to Hades' pits and back, no questions asked.

It was towards the end of the fight, while the sun was casting one last, grievous glance upon the now horrific cemetery that the battlefield had become, when victory was clearly inevitable, that an invisible blade cut his Princess right through, inches away from her heart.

And that particular cut, he felt it too, stabbing his soul along with Xena's flesh. A deep, sharp, precise cut, that was but slightly deflected the very last moment, thanks to Xena's peerless intuition.

'Cause when Athena hit, she always left lifeless shells behind her.

His eyes darkened with the anger and fear of losing his Princess, Ares got to her right in time to catch her falling off the horse, avoiding a now lethal collision with the ground.

In a seconds gear he was in the Halls of War, placing her on the marble shrine, desperately calling for Aphrodite, begging her to help him heal her, silently praying to all known and unknown Gods that she stayed alive.

Athena's blasted temples all along the Aegean shore was that all familiar odour that was now filling his nostrils.

"_It's not a game Xena, not for me. How can you not see it?"_ The God said to himself, a sad sigh leaving his lips.

Lazily stretching on his ebony throne and opening a mirror, he started contemplating his raven Beauty, whose mind seemed to have drifted elsewhere.

He considered reading her thoughts, though he usually avoided doing that, but there was a certain trace of uncertainty in them that he just couldn't put his finger on and that was irking him too much as to just let it pass.

So, proceeding with his plan, to his surprise, he quickly realized that those very events were nesting in the back of her mind too.

* * *

Xena could still hear the piercing screams of women, and those 'oh so' shredding howls echoing deeply from within the timorous men who pathetically quivered beneath the overpowering force of an aforementioned blood stained blade — One that was still shimmering magnificently against the sun's ardent effulgence, already perfectly thick and blanketed heavily with an artistically crimson carpet of glory spilt from the numerous limp carcasses who'd previously dared to defy the Warrior Princess' fiercely supreme authority during the era of the great Megara Battle.

The visualisation of immense bloodshed camouflaging the scorched landscape thundered viciously against her chest, roughly dragging her own ability to perceive why, backwards into the blazing pit of events from whence that extremely wicked and ruthless desire for rage, bloodlust, violence, power, ambition, conquest and something more, had first been created and started to cloud her soul.

She could picture it clearly.

The exact smell... those sounds of fury and destruction, heightening every sense, as Cortese's horrendous army swept madly through Amphipolis, raiding it totally to the ground and destroying any living thing within range.

She'd stood boldly against him, to protect, to fight; willingly using the Villager's own fear to manipulate them, and it had cost her dearly.

Lyceus had believed and trusted her, and the painful result was evident in his death!

_**When I look back upon my life  
It's always with a sense of shame  
I've always been the one to blame  
For everything I long to do  
No matter when or where or who  
Has one thing in common, too**_

That very moment had marked the beginning, twisted Xena violently into what she became, and everything that followed in crashing waves was simply herself giving in to conceal the fear and pain she contained inside.

Cortese would have returned and she'd cunningly anticipated it, formed an army of her own for defence and then figured to take the surrounding villages for a buffer.

But then somewhere along the lines, it all changed, and the pure evil of murder began to rear its ugly head.

_**It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin  
It's a sin  
Everything I've ever done  
Everything I ever do  
Every place I've ever been  
Everywhere I'm going to  
It's a sin**_

Her code however, was differentiated greatly between pre-meditated murder and cold murder when she was a Warlord; always insisting that she allowed villages to surrender before massacring them, and that her own troops were to live by the same code, including: Not to kill women and children.

_**At school they taught me how to be  
So pure in thought and word and deed  
They didn't quite succeed  
For everything I long to do  
No matter when or where or who  
Has one thing in common, too**_

Those days soon began to bore her though, as she desperately seeked for bigger outlets to feed that burning rage pended up inside.

That's when her desires for conquest were, as she'd thought them, equally met by the Roman commander 'Julius Caesar'.

How wrong Xena had been; especially when that Son of a Bitch falsely convinced her into believing they'd truly held the essence of love, that passion for power, before heartlessly stringing up a bruised, beaten body and breaking her legs, perceiving the lame excuse for a pirate only as a minor setback.

_**It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin  
It's a sin  
Everything I've ever done  
Everything I ever do  
Every place I've ever been  
Everywhere I'm going to  
It's a sin**_

Borias had become that colossal pedestal shortly after.

He'd found her, accepted her, deemed his love, and yet Xena had lightly brushed it off, too hurt to accept anything could truly be that real anymore and instead considering him nothing more than a sentimental fool who made her look soft in the very face of war when promised the glory of becoming 'The Destroyer of Nations,' by the powerful Sharmaness Alti.

Akemi, on the other hand completely destroyed her, made her guts wrench and twist turbulently; the deep trust they'd shared, breaking her heart into a thousand tiny pieces and left to scatter endlessly across the wind.

Overruled by the crushing pain, she had nowhere left to run but back to the Arcadian region and execute a new plan, with the help of a hell-bent army and bold Lieutenant, Darphus.

Things had seemingly gone well for a while, until Darphus took it upon himself to gain complete control, turning her own troops against her and completely defiling the code.

And the man she'd wanted to kill before; soon became a much trusted ally.

Hercules somehow managed to tap into the darkness lingering beneath after Lao Ma's efforts, and showed her there was still an immense amount of good buried under the fear, and that is was ultimately her choice to turn the events that drove her into a blood-lusted madness around.

_**Father, forgive me, I tried not to do it  
Turned over a new leaf, then tore right through it  
Whatever you taught me, I didn't believe it  
Father, you fought me, 'cause I didn't care  
And I still don't understand**_

Megara nudged itself rudely across Xena's mind again, always pulling her back into that moment, when the battle lay barren at her feet, with the sun beating harshly down to commend a victory as she screamed with full force the name of a particular God devotedly, and considered herself the very entity of Death, before feeling the sharply cut blade of Athena's sword slice easily though armour and flesh, all to bring her back into reality.

_**So I look back upon my life  
Forever with a sense of shame  
I've always been the one to blame  
For everything I long to do  
No matter when or where or who  
Has one thing in common, too**_

It pained her to re-live those seconds. The peaceful, and yet unpleasantly numbing feeling that slowly entered her body, when she'd been prepared to call it all over and done.

During that instant, something had swiftly whisked her demising body away and restored the fiery, determined life within.

She didn't quite understand it, but the trust once strongly joined between herself and Ares, now became betrayed trust, making her heart truly ache just that little more every time he reminded and tried to pull forth the dark past forever haunting the recesses of her mind.

_**It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin  
It's a sin**_

_**Everything I've ever done  
Everything I ever do  
Every place I've ever been  
Everywhere I'm going to - it's a sin  
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin  
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin**_

_**(Confiteor Deo omnipotenti vobis fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione,  
verbo, opere et omissione, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa)**_

_**[trans. "I confess to almighty god,  
and to you my brothers,  
that I have sinned exceedingly  
in thought, word, act and omission,  
through my fault, through my fault,  
through my most grievous fault"]**_

* * *

Hearing her addled thoughts, Ares' heart ached once more, the same pungent force as it did when Athena's sharp sword pierced his Princess's body.

It pained him like nothing else to live in the knowledge that not long ago, she had trusted him with her life, and now, all that, was but a bitter memory that she was on a daily basis trying to erase from her tormented mind, along with the deep scars that her soul still held.

Past or present, she had not once wanted or requested his help. That was a fine line she never crossed, no matter what. She was way too damn stubborn for that, she could have been hacked to pieces before allowing herself to plead for his help.

But then again, there was another type of understanding between them during her Warlord days, and though she not once in her life called for him to 'save' her, she knew with all her heart that if he would have ever thought that she needed his help, she would have had it in a second without even asking.

She always felt protected knowing that he was keeping an eye on her day and night, he was well aware of that, and their bond was the best guardian he could ever think of for her, through it, his Princess inducing him subtle hints whenever she was in any type of distress.

However, things were different now.

It all fell apart like a sand castle, a thin blanket of oblivion laying upon what once was their matchless relationship and the realization of it was striking him like one of Zeus's lightning bolts each time her image unfolded before his eyes.

That was probably the reason why he was so ransacked to find out, while eaves dropping of course on one of Xena's private talks with the annoying Blonde, that she was certain that he was not going to harm her in any way.

"Not now, not ever." Those were her precise words; he could have bet his life that she would have, though the exact opposite on that matter and still...

More than once he had considered letting it all aside, completely forgetting about her, snatching the inflamed passion that he held for her from the depths of his heart, but, as he quickly found out, if 'impossible' ever existed for Gods, she was his 'impossible' in more ways than one.

Not hearing her every breath, deprived of the touch of her velvety skin, was far beyond his will and power. He was simply unable to trash her out of his mind or heart.

She was one of a kind; that was for sure.

An eternity without her...? That was something that he was just not prepared to face — not like that he ever would — she was like poison to him; his sweet, lethal, liberating poison.

**_I wanna love you but I better not touch (don't touch)_****_  
_****I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop**  
**I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (too much)**  
**I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison**  
**You're poison, you're poison running through my veins**  
**Poison**  
**I don't wanna play these games**

He couldn't do this. Not anymore. It was driving him crazy.

By the Gods! A mortal woman having such an effect on ***him***, The God of War, Lord of Battles... He needed to have a loooong conversation with her.

And as much as he hated the idea, knowing that when it came to Xena, 'long' always equalled 'risky' plus a bag of nerves, this had to stop, one way or the other; he only hoped it would be his way this time.

Consequently, emptying the cup of red wine in his hand and swallowing hard, he just left, materializing seconds later, on a log, right next to his ravishing Princess.

"Hey Xe... this might not be the best time, but... we need to talk."


	3. Company, Crowds and Parties

**~ Chapter Three ~**

**Company, Crowds and Parties**

* * *

She'd said it more than once to prove a point, but even Xena knew deep down, when she had clearly mentioned that there couldn't possibly be an ounce of trust ever held between them, a significant amount of what she'd declared, was indeed a lie.

For instance, Ares had always insisted that this exact Warrior's life was entirely safe as long as he was around, an obvious forever deal to be sure, and a God need never lie.

That part she knew was definitely true.

Gabrielle wasn't exactly daft either, and it had plainly been obvious even before Xena summoned the courage to tell the Bard.

"Not now, not ever."

Ares never could or would cause physical harm towards her.

But mental, however hard the God tried, particularly became a difficult challenge and the line of trust fell greatly the moment he desperately turned towards the things he knew best would surely get an array of reactions out of her... every time.

His sudden and all familiar brightly glowing entrance came to her somewhat as a shock.

Perhaps being too submerged in her own considerations blocked the usual tingling sensations that sent electrical currents up and down her spine, warning of his forthcoming approach?

Her Blonde companion hardly look impressed by the short lack of notice she'd given her, sending the impression that tonight would not result in any tender activities, that was for sure.

A thought promptly crossed her mind.

Why hadn't Gabrielle queried her whereabouts moments before….?

It was commonly the first thing the Bard always jumped to when she'd thought her Friend had stumbled upon danger or had taken waaay too long to return from those little trips she constantly insisted needed to be performed alone.

_"Better not count your chickens before they hatch, Xena." _The beautiful Blonde always came through, one way or the other.

Ares' converse cut rapidly through her train of thought, almost forcing a growl of fury to come viciously flying out, but she cunningly kept it hidden for the sake of Gabrielle finding out what had previously been going on.

"_Ugh!"_

What gave Ares the authority to think that his Almighty presence would be welcomed, again, especially after their already brief and partially upsetting confrontation?

She would have pulled some snide remark about what took him so long to arrive; anything to throw Gabrielle off the scent and make her think she'd expected him to appear earlier before.

Only it wasn't necessary, she knew the hot tempered Bard would openly hit Ares full throttle with some smart-ass comment about his preferred methods of travel anyway and save her the effort, not that she minded at all.

_"That's my Girl."_

Joxer's face was practically a-glow, having finally caught a full glimpse of the War God and simply honoured to share a seat.

The stuttering babble he was currently speaking however was not making the situation any easier.

The irritated warning glances Ares seemed to be giving, in an attempt to shun the pathetic excuse for a Warlord, almost brought the radiant smile back to Xena's face, before she rose from the coarse covered log to gain a more dominant position lingering on the opposite side of the fire.

"If you think I'm coming back..." She started, already picking out the subtle sign that he still, after all these years, yearned for a part of the old Xena.

With icy blue eyes firmly fixed to the swaying flames of an intensely blazing fire, she finally breathed the rest of it out.

"... Don't hold your breath. What you did to me Ares, I can't forget."

Whoops... Now that was something Gabrielle would definitely quote her on later, and the bedazzled look etched all over Joxer's features made it evident he'd even caught the oddness of her response.

She swallowed gently, giving Ares a stern stare through the obstacle of flames and heat that said there was always a possibility they could be together, even if she constantly denied the chances of it happening within her own set of mind.

_"But maybe with the lights out, we can be bad, because you know me better than I know myself."_

"_I didn't think that you still believed that?" _The God could not help but reply inside her mind, using their bond as a means of communication.

He was unable to remember the last time he had done this with her, 'cause this particular method was working only when her barriers were completely down, and with Xena that was as rare as Athena cooking him dinner.

And yet, in the past, especially on the battlefield, it had proved its efficiency, guiding her through the fighting areas, saving her life over and over again, his voice echoing inside her head, warning her about any immediate danger.

It was probably this very reason why Xena was so reluctant when it came to using it. Just like countless other things, it brought back an entire cortege of painful memories and betrayal.

With his head bent down, staring at a footprint embossed in the clayey ground, Ares released a deep sigh, one that to his dismay wasn't capable of control, and, moments later, his troubled eyes met Xena's once again, sadly contemplating the mirthless shadows of anxiety that were sailing on the bottomless pool of her blues.

_"Ummm... Sweet... I'm not blind. I'm well aware that I can't just kiss you and make it all better. But I would trade Olympus in a heartbeat, if that meant making up to you for whatever you think I've wronged you, and you know it." _The God added, never leaving his Princess' eyes, desperately attempting to get through to her.

_"My methods were... let's call them... Uninspired, when it came to dealing with you. But Xena, you have to understand, what we had was new for me too. I once told you that you would be surprised of the change you can inspire in a Man or God. I meant it. Don't get me wrong now. You can't expect me to paint my temples pink and decorate my altars with daisies. I am who I am. But something in my heart is not the same anymore since you left."_

_**In the blinding darkness**__**  
**__**of the night it seems simple  
all I know is that  
I love you here right now.**_

**_It's not as if I wanted_**  
**_to fall so hard for you,_**  
**_or even understand_**  
**_these woken feelings._**

**_I love you my own way_**  
**_I love you better_**  
**_I love you inside all this_**  
**_I love you forever_**

**_All these words are useless_**  
**_when I look into your eyes_**  
**_it's the simple truth of perfect,_**  
**_little secret._**

_**You're the only thing I'm sure of  
and it makes it all so hard  
all that other things are  
broken out of focus.**_

_**I love you my own way**__**  
**__**I love you better  
I love you inside all this  
I love you forever**_

The all accustomed sonority gently trailing through his mind hit her instantly, slicing right down to the pure core.

She didn't think Ares would ever consider she'd break down those titanic walls again, allowing him to enter her scattered subconscious.

It had pleased her to appreciate that no matter what; he still never totally ceased pursuing to push the boundaries, convinced he could immortally prove any trace of underlying doubt clouding her soul.

And yet, Xena still didn't want to bring herself to accept that something within the God of War could completely transform, but knowing in the very alcove of her awareness, there was an everlasting chance, that one in a billion...

_"I don't. But I know you'll never stop trying, and I'd expect nothing less."_

Gabrielle's muffled monologue slowly seeped through, when she caught the tail end of the Bard's confused concern regarding the current conversation that was previously unfolding between them.

She hadn't quiet grasped the exact remark, but whatever it had been, Joxer seemed to be completely agreeing.

_**What if I wanted to break  
Laugh it all off in your face  
What would you do? (Oh, oh)  
What if I fell to the floor  
Couldn't take all this anymore  
What would you do, do, do?**_

**_Come break me down_**  
**_Bury me, bury me_**  
**_I am finished with you_**

**_What if I wanted to fight_**  
**_Beg for the rest of my life_**  
**_What would you do?_**  
**_You say you wanted more_**  
**_What are you waiting for?_**  
**_I'm not running from you (from you)_**

**_Come break me down_**  
**_Bury me, bury me_**  
**_I am finished with you_**  
**_Look in my eyes_**  
**_You're killing me, killing me_**  
**_All I wanted was you_**

**_I tried to be someone else_**  
**_But nothing seemed to change_**  
**_I know now, this is who I really am inside._**  
**_Finally found myself_**  
**_Fighting for a chance._**  
**_I know now, this is who I really am._**


	4. Words Can't Describe How I Feel

**~ Chapter Four~**

**Words Can't Describe How I Feel**

* * *

"Just wipe that silly grin off your face before I do it for you." A very angry Gabrielle blustered, noticing the infinite delight that Ares was getting out of seeing her so disturbed by his presence, or better said, by his presence around Xena.

"Just say what you're here for," she went on blabbering. "And will you stop staring at her as if she were some statue in front of your temple already? It's giving me the chills!

"Go kill some peasants or something, and spare us from your glorious presence, 'almighty' God of War." Towards the end of her line though, Gabrielle's voice was no more but a whisper.

Ares didn't miss the sarcastic note that concluded her bitchy little monologue either, and for a second or so, he really felt the need to close his eyes and shut her image down, before losing control and giving in to the temptation of turning her into some stinky fish or something, and face a not very friendly Warrior Princess as a consequence.

"There's no way in Hades that this irritating Blonde Harpy could ever comprehend something as thorough as the relationship between an Immortal and his Chosen." He digressed, desperately trying to convince himself that the Bard wasn't worth the effort.

On the other hand, people failing to understand that when he and Xena were looking at each other, they were usually in the middle of something more than just 'peering,' amused him to death like only few things could.

No one was able to understand the type of connection that he and his Princess were sharing... it was too sacred for these pesky Mortals to even get the slightest clue about it.

_"How do you feel about talking somewhere more... uhh... private, Xe? I know the perfect spot. No tricks, I promise."_ The God murmured smoothly inside her mind.

And his voice was so alluring, mysterious... spicy... it sounded like a dark tango, inducing an instant rapture of spirit so irresistible.

Even Xena had been slightly amused in watching Gabrielle harshly rip into the God like a savagely wild cat though.

Sure... the Bard was usually quite pensive, unless you happen to be a bumbling idiot sporting the name of Joxer, an attractive smart-ass God of War or a troubled Warrior Princess, that is.

Despite the fact that she was very familiar with the particularly sarcastic tone that had rapidly migrated through her beloved Blonde's articulation, she also knew that it was simply the Bard's way of expressing the jealousy and mental irritation she held towards the Olympian.

And Ares seemed to perfectly understand it all too well; constantly teasing and egging the Bard on, only now he'd seemed to have had enough.

She could tell instantly from the plagued look plastered thickly across his face that this was something he'd rather not deal with at the moment.

However enticing his offer had sounded though, she still wasn't going to let him slink off into the darkness.

_"C'mon... If you have something to say, then spit it out!"_

That's when Xena's brows began to raise, a now playfully well-known smirk pulling at the corner of her lips, dangerously tempting the God to express what it was that so urgently needed to be brought forth, but also roughly forcing him like waves breaking against the rocks to choose the words wisely.

"Gabrielle's waiting God of War. And you really don't want to get her mad." The words slid with emphasis, putting across the notion that Joxer could more than once relate the exact meaning.

_"Or are you chicken?"_ She mentally provoked, hands placed firmly on the jutting bones of hips conceal under smooth black leather.

Shortly considering his options, Ares' lips quivered into a very naughty smile, when the funniest idea ever crossed his razor sharp, frisky mind.

_"Well, since you've been asking for it so nicely, Sweet..."_ He replied inside her mind, while an 'I'm such a bad, bad boy' expression was cunningly surfacing his sexy features.

He could already picture Xena freaking out, as the first wisely chosen words would exit his dirty mouth.

With his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword and the left over his heart, slightly bent forward as if performing a bow before the King of the Gods himself, and barely restraining a crushing wave of laughter, amusement vibrating throughout his voice but a face to match his now solemn position, Ares started his soliloquy, knowing that after the first half of the thrillingly soul-touching opening, he would probably be too busy ducking Xena's chakram as to worry about the rest of his lines.

He did consider some very fancy words towards the end of his speech though, as to ensure a life-shaking experience for the gifted Bard's ego, just in case.

"Oh, this is gonna' be so much fun." He mumbled, before going ahead with his plan.

"My splendid Princess," he started uttering on the soppiest note he was able to reach, excitement written all over his face as noticing Xena's visible reaction to his elaborate beginning.

She was in for an ice cold shower, that was obvious, and she was not happy about it.

"As I'm contemplating your ravishing beauty, clumsily attempting to find the right words for what I'd like to confess you, I can't help but recall the very first night we made love. Just like now, that unforgettable starry night, your piercing sapphire eyes were inquisitively tracing the line of my rigid..."

And there it was, just like he predicted it... well, maybe a bit sooner.

"Come on Xe, I didn't even get to the half of it!" The God whined, adding a pouting face, just for sheer effect.

The once smug expression illustrating Xena's face was now completely wiped off and replaced with a fairly dangerous, tight lipped contortion, one that clearly implied, 'I'm going to kill you.'

"Unless you have a death wish, I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you!" She warned, the very burn of rage melting those icy blue pinnacles when a particular deadly and beautifully crafted weapon was raised in a prompt whip like fashion towards the sky; the very contour of its continuous blade shimmering ever so slightly under the Moon's illumination before threateningly being brought back in front of her face.

She did contemplate about throwing it at first, but held it firmly within anchor, quickly guessing Gabrielle to probably take the specifically violent reaction partly as being true to Ares' twisted garbage of words.

However, the conceited leer contently worn in all its marvelous glory by the God really boiled her blood to the brim.

With a hasty flick of the wrist, the piece of steel was finally left to glide and whizz gracefully through the zephyr, on a collision course with its main target.

"I won't hurt yuh... Much." Xena jeered, knowing she wouldn't have thrown the object if she knew there was even the slightest chance he couldn't dodge it.

Not that it would have ever become a problem for Ares, and she started to wonder if he'd actually be able to catch it this time, the precise way Callisto had always managed to deflect its killing blows, grabbing it cleanly by the blade with that lethal clasp.

The distinct vision still baffled her right down to the bone though, particularly because it had also happened before Callisto had ever became a tightly wound up Goddess.

During that split second, between flying metal beating off cratered rocks and possibly every other object surrounding them, she couldn't believe she'd literally grasped a moment in time to meet Gabrielle's horrified character and Joxer's wide opened jaw.

"You're not buying that are you?"

Shock travelled patently through her voice, while eyes shifted frantically between the two Comrades and then narrowed a twinge, resting harshly on Joxer's now panicked face, hoping he wouldn't disappoint her.

"Joxer...?"


	5. Confessions by Moonshine

**~ Chapter Five ~**

**Confessions by Moonshine**

* * *

"Ummmm... I... umm... Technically, you know...?"

And that was all Joxer was able to mutter, before shaking his head automatically, a pathetic simper on his face while raising his hands in something vaguely resembling a self-defense position, his eyes wide open as if having seen a ghost while still debating in his frozen mind if it were wise of him to hide behind Gabrielle and use her as a shield if necessary or not.

Taking into consideration Xena's choleric reactions, the Bard's eyes had gradually turned from forest green to a very intense shade of red as her overall expression gradually changed from shock and disbelief, to a painful acknowledgement while still working on the insignificant details she'd seem to have missed along the way, putting it all in place, tears streaming down her face, her voice just above a whisper, forcefully feeling her heart being ripped out of her chest while realizing the dark blindness she'd been living in 'till that precise moment.

She was hurt, and she was angry. She couldn't tell if she was more pissed at Xena, at Ares or at herself for her stupid naivety.

"Xena..." The Bard started, after a long, heavy silence, so thick that even her Companion's sharp sword couldn't have cut through it.

"How could you hide this from me? Wasn't I worthy of your trust? Haven't I proven myself to you? I'd asked you over and over again 'bout you and Ares. I can't even recall how many times I told you that I wanted to know about your past as to better understand you."

Her head slunk between her shoulders, sparkling tears were now soaking the already wet ground.

She felt rage invading the very last section of her body and she wanted to scream so damn hard, 'till her vocal cords snapped, to let it all out, to hurt Xena as bad as she could, to make her soul feel the excruciating pain that she was feeling, to teach her a lesson, to show her that indeed, all betrayals had consequences.

She was dying inside, but still, something held her back, restraining her from just bursting and spitting it all out.

Was it the weird sensation travelling throughout her body, that energy was being drained out of her?

Or probably the awareness of the fact that silence itself would be the best vengeful weapon against her so-called Soul Mate?

She couldn't tell, but when she kept on talking her tone was low, dangerously low and sedate, bitterness breathing out of every single word she uttered.

"I insisted so much, on so many occasions, and all I ever got in return was, '_Me and Ares go way back. You couldn't possibly understand it. I don't wanna' talk about it. End of discussion.' _So what was that all about Xena?" She added; impatience and anger echoing from deep inside her.

"You couldn't bear to tell me that what you and Ares had was more than a God/Chosen relationship, and that you were avoiding telling me that you still love this... this egocentric Maniac? Well _'Princess'?_" The Bard firmly concluded, stressing deliberately the last word and putting as much disdain into it as she was capable of, sickened by the whole concept of it.

Only a few steps further back, while the great God of War was reduced to mere blinking near the volcanic eruption that was seemingly developing out of the Blondie's almost exploding chest, the almighty Warrior was shaking the life itself out of his body only imagining the outcome.

He had never seen her so affected by anything, and this was Gabrielle, the peacemaker, the all forgiving Gabrielle...

For a second there, he held his breath, anticipating somehow what more there was to come.

The blazing flares in Xena's eyes however were now burning brighter than anything in the entire cosmos when she stalked almost malevolently over to the shuddering bag of bones and yanked Joxer forcibly up, one hand wrapped roughly in a tight knot around the collar of his shirt with the other firmly held out, catching a flying disc of lethal metal literally inches away from meeting his terrified face.

With a devilish grin sported across her own twisted features, she incorporated a deathly amount of emphasis into the glare for good measure, figuring it would be just enough to have Joxer faint and out of harm's way for the remainder of the evening.

Then all previous attention critically approached Gabrielle as her focus zeroed sorely upon her Soul Mate's enraged and evidently distressed disposition.

"Gabrielle..." Whispered a stern tone as she stooped gently down to the Bard's level, cupping her face gingerly and searching desperately deep within the once oceanic green pools.

"If you knew every little detail about my past, the disturbing things I've done." A short, loathsome glance was shot savagely across at a bewildered God before tracking its way back onto the body of emotions thunderously crumbling like a wall before her. "And did... It would tear at your soul until there were nothing left."

She shifted position lightly in an attempt to reach out and feel the silky golden locks run smoothly through her fingers, but it was obvious Gabrielle wasn't going to allow it with such an immense amount of heartache rushing vigorously through her body.

The Warrior sighed heavily, abruptly gripping both of the Bard's arms as recalling the word 'Princess' slithering scornfully out of that mouth.

"I don't tell you, because the very thought of it plagues me to know of just how many times my past has already caused you so much pain. So honestly Gabrielle, tell me why you would ever think I would want you to be haunted by those same experiences?"

"So what then Xena...!?" The Blonde yelled from the bottom of her lungs, snatching herself from the Warrior Princess' grasp, relieving all the pressure gathered, all the resentment and frustration she had been holding within her.

"I'm not a little girl anymore, I can deal with things. I had the right to know. Was it really necessary for you to treat me like a child and just deliberately lie to my face under the pretext that, 'what you don't know can't hurt you'?"

Her body rigid, her features visibly marked under the deep emotional impact of some very obscene images that were constantly rolling inside her head, Gabrielle covered her eyes as if they were portals through which the others could see into.

Disconnected from the entire world, de-realization hitting her worse than a rock fall, she took a deep breath, and wiping out her tears with the back of her hand, she just stared into Xena's grievous eyes, and seeing her callous look, Ares just realized that he never knew green could be such a hard colour.

He was eager to see his Princess' reaction, wondering if he should zest things up with a smart reply he was rather jumpy to share, or just wait a little longer before adding the explosive.

He decided nevertheless to go for the second one, avoiding to 'save' Xena from the trouble of answering the Bard's cascading questions.

"Just take a look at yourself now and tell me whether you think it was necessary for me to lie?" Was all Xena had to say, hoping in the dark retreat of her mind that at least some of those strained words would open a gigantic door and make her Friend see the light?

She swallowed painfully hard as a stinging hot tear rolled slowly down her cheek though. Seeing Gabrielle like this, she couldn't deny genuinely ripped a hole right through her heart, but this wasn't exactly new turf.

They'd been through worse and she remembered a time not too long ago when both had been on the very verge of tossing away everything they had, so blinded by the mountainous distraught and hate they held from losing their children.

Solan's radiating image played over in her head, before Hope's came crashing through, destroying and shredding another huge hollow.

The thoughts were briskly shaken away as she marched over to her bedroll and began gathering up the things with a fairly clear hint that her presence was no longer welcome, at least not at this point, and Gabrielle needed time to cool off.

"Corinth is a day's ride away. Take Argo, I'll meet you there tomorrow."

With the bedroll dangling freely over her shoulder, she spun on a note, purposely capturing Ares' glimmering brown gaze.

_"You hate me that much!?"_

The words, if had been spoken aloud, would have spewed venom from the fangs Xena now seemed to be exhibiting; and an extensive groan was expelled instantly as teeth gritted gratingly against each other before she decided to saunter off into the woods, acrimony presently detailed in each long striding step.

"Fine." Was all that the Bard managed to say, her voice stumbling somewhere inside her throat, almost choking her, unwillingly to form any other words.

She needed her space, she knew that, and she did have a lot of thinking to do.

With Xena's piercing eyes out of the way, she could at least cry her eyes out, no restrains what so ever, and maybe, just maybe, things would look brighter in the morning.

_"Who am I kidding here?"_ The Bard's tormented mind echoed deep within her. "_Things are anything but bright. By the Gods Xena..." _

With a firm, sudden shake of the head, she banished the putrid snaps that were constantly making her skin crawl and her blood steam through her veins, more than a slaughterhouse battle ever could.

She was exhausted and she was in desperate need of a good night sleep, and she knew that it was a precisely peaceful night that she wasn't going to have the pleasure enjoying, predicting the horrific nightmares that were about to haunt her 'till daylight.


	6. Vibrations

**~ Chapter Six ~**

**Vibrations**

* * *

Seconds later, the God of War was walking by Xena's side, trying to keep up with her transient steps, a nervous look on his face, estimating that her ignoring silence was definitely not a good sign while hopelessly squeezing his brain into figuring out a way to approach his Princess without upsetting her even more.

On a somehow insecure tone he began. "That was a silly question to ask. I could never hate you Xena. You know better than that."

The chilly wind at her back stressed almost on purpose the emptiness that was now sneaking inside her heart, but there he was, just like clockwork, eagerly nipping at her heals like a puppy, yet always managing to fall perfectly in line with her own steps.

"Do I now?" She continued, seriously tossing the idea back and forth before picking a secluded spot to lay out the bedroll, then turning around to face him, a gaze drilling deeply into the God's very soul.

"You would bring up the past and hurt Gabrielle, just to make a point?" Utter disgust trailed purely through her tone. "Ask me again why I could never trust you!"

Rolling his eyes, the God clicked his tongue, thinking twice before answering a tricky question like that one.

Denying it, meant facing one of Xena's never endless monologues on how many times he had hurt and had messed with her head and heart, and some similar stuff of sentimental crap, yadda…. yadda…. yadda, while admitting it was... well... out of the question.

He had to twist the truth somehow, obviously to his own advantage.

"Well, you don't have to make a case out of it. I mean, I did insist on us talking ***privately*** remember?" Ares decided on answering, stressing the 'privately' part of it.

"And since you brought it up, it would be a very good time for you to stop blaming others for your own mistakes. It's not my fault that you chose NOT to tell Blondie about our... ummmm... intricate past, is it now?" He finished the sentence on a rather high note.

Her gaze fell sharply towards the sodden earth while instinctively trying to block out every single part of his menacing words now swimming shallowly through the biggest rivers of her mind.

"So talk!" Xena brutally insisted after finally letting her heart's rhythm return to a more natural state, knowing Ares had poised a very valid point, one that had the effect of eating into whatever was left of her soul.

Her answer hit him like a thunderbolt, not in a million years having thought that as enraged as she was, he was going to get that kind of reaction out of her.

"_She must really be tired...?" _He told himself, while scrutinizing her marvellously sculpted features, allowing his fingers to run through her long thick straight tresses, and it always amazed him to see that under the pale moonlight, that distinctive glow of her face could make her look so surreal, just like in those vivid dreams he usually had about her.

She was breathtaking... the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he did see some during those long millennia of existence.

Besides war, ladies were his main domain of expertise.

But she had that special something that he just couldn't put his finger on, something that made him lose control around her, that made his soul vibrate in ways that no other Mortal or Goddess had ever done before.

"You are perfect." He murmured softly in her ear, almost against his own will, brushing his lips against it, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, charmed by the sound of her pounding heart, and he knew that if he focused hard enough, he could even hear the blood rushing through her veins, just like the incentive lava of the devastating Santorini.

But this was not the right place or time and he knew it, so he snapped out of it, and as a conclusion he just planted a light kiss on her forehead and added.

"Never mind Xe, We can talk tomorrow. Right now you probably need some rest."

And since his loving gaze seemingly got to her right in time, he took the chance to push it further, caressing her smooth arms, his eyes never leaving her own, trying to guess the thoughts behind her attitude, without reading them.

"Do you wanna' sleep here, or would you like to stay in one of my temples? No strings... okay? I'll take you to Corinth in the morning."

She'd genuinely wanted to strangle the stench of Immortal life right out of him though, beat the God until he was frail and limp, black and blue, and why? Because he'd simply uttered the truth about their past and she couldn't handle it.

But with Ares' already assertive vicinity, she could feel herself slightly giving in and heart instantly skipping beats as it drummed audibly against her chest, for a short moment stripping away any remnants of hate once harboured inside.

And all it had taken was for his exceedingly hot breath and lips to faintly graze upon her silken skin... that tenderly settled kiss, or was it the way his fingers were seductively and lightly tracing up and down her arms?

She couldn't tell.

But one thing was certain, the electrical currents his sensitive touches sent screaming through her body, practically begged every fiber of her being to allow the blazing heat of his centre to warm her inner core.

And the now wild look flashing curiously in his eyes definitely slipped her the hint he'd immediately sensed her growing arousal, but the eager stubbornness of Xena's own nature never failed to butt in, as she slapped a hand firmly against his chest and pushed away, creating some distance between their bodies.

"I don't need or want your assets, Ares."

Obstinate as ever was always her way when she turned on a dime, until something roughly grasped her waist, wrenching her back around.

"Who said anything about you wanting my assets?" The God answered, forcefully spinning her back to face him, pushing her body against a nearby tree, while blocking it with his own.

There was intense lust in his eyes and it was strangely mirroring her own uncontrollable desires for him.

The heat spreading throughout her body, starting with her belly, made way for a predatory smile on his face, and though her brows were drawn together in a frown, he knew better.

She was just dying to feel him so unbearably close to her.

As so many times before, her arched back gave her away, and that flawlessly traced waist, her voluptuous hips, those perfectly round breasts, actually every little inch of her seemed so invitingly conceived, that only looking at her, still dressed as she was, could awake animalistic instincts deep inside him, increasing every dirty thought he had about her.

And by Zeus himself, he did have a lot.

Releasing his grasp, he cupped her chin in one hand to tilt her face up, the other burying into her dark silky hair, as he captured her lips in a deep, bruising kiss, the pressure of her burning tongue against his own bringing him on the verge of ecstasy, driving him crazy as he almost struggled to remain in control.

When he couldn't take it any longer, feeling his own temperature rising like wildfire, he feverishly started kissing the line of her neck, intertwining the tip of his fingers through her already entangled hair, pressing her even harder against the tree, whispering hoarsely against her crimson, swollen lips.

"I want you, like I've never wanted anything in my life. Just stay with me damn it! And I don't mean all that 'Warrior Queen' garbage. I mean Olympus Princess."


	7. Night Thoughts

**~ Chapter Seven ~**

**Night Thoughts**

* * *

A moan of pure bliss subconsciously escaped deep from within Xena's throat as she felt herself falling slightly into a dizzy haze.

The painful grunt emitted only gave evidence of the complete enjoyment she'd gotten out of his more adopted proximity, almost feeling his power rushing through her veins.

And yet, enough was never enough when it came right down to the Warrior Princess, as hands were left to slip beneath the ugly confinements of a leather vest and roam freely over his chest, exploring and teasing before advancing slowly towards his shoulders, tracing soft invisible lines on the back of his neck.

The heat sifting from his breath only paved the way to becoming increasingly intoxicating when she caught the muffled borderline of his previous statement.

Something habitual to do with Olympus... most of it having become a distant blur anyway, although she always managed to pick out the exact mark where he'd constantly throw a pet name into the mix, just to irk her like crazy.

She could already feel the features of her face screwing up as the particular line raced rapidly along the tracks, never reaching the bright light at the end of her mind's tunnel.

During the moment, hand still pressed firmly against the nape of his neck, she allowed her eyes to briefly flicker open to find the God's awestruck visage had been lost somewhere in the translation of that preceding monologue, and was now wildly fishing in the blue pools for an answer.

She ignored it, letting her wet tongue slide over his lip, dangerously tempting him to steal another taste of that irresistible poison.

Only now, she could tell he was beginning to turn the tables, playing a round of his own cruel game against her.

Instead of just deepening the kiss, and losing himself under the tempting drug-like effect that the softness of her tongue offered, Ares cut it short, allowing her to barley brush his lower lip before deciding to make her wait, tantalising her, playing with her mind, just as he always did.

He always enjoyed watching as her icy stare gradually transformed from pure consciousness to a completely surrendering gaze, and the mere sight of her, defenceless as she seemed, mesmerized by his eyes just like a snake by his charmer, could make him come there and then, without the slightest need to go any further.

Brutally pressing his body against her warm centre, he let her feel the hardness of his cock, creating a very much needed and desired friction, instantly sensing the blazing wave that his closeness had awoken in her.

Luscious caresses were now gliding up and down her face, the tip of his fingers seductively rubbing her moist lips, his index slowly tracing their contour, letting her imagine the upcoming sensation of his tongue filling the inside of her obnoxious little mouth.

And he knew she was silently wishing he'd kiss her already, her body shivering from the anticipation, whimpering hard as she bit his lips, trying to get him to kiss her, but his discreet, tricky smile, gave her a hint that his plans changed a little bit.

With a thought her armour dropped at her feet, freeing her silky body from the pressure of that tight bodice, leaving only her black shift on, and when something close to a muffled protest threatened to come out of her throat, he silenced her gently with a faint whisper, while gingerly licking and tugging on her earlobe.

"Do you have any idea how much I've missed you Sweet?"

He could feel her uneven breaths under his constant strokes, her breasts nearly popping out of the plunging, and he felt so damn tempted to just rip it open and push her to the ground, to straddle her legs and slam violently inside her, anxious to feel her convulsing around his cock while he would pound harder and faster, as deep as he could, 'till he heard her scream his name.

He was already picturing himself maddened by her nails running along his back, finally clenched in the flesh of his shoulders.

The idea of having her like that again, recalling the mutual harmony of ecstatic sensations that they'd shared in the past, was driving him crazy, but he had to play the game, he wanted to have her panting over him before taking it any further.

Suddenly, as to release all the pressure that was coming from his impossibly throbbing erection, he fleetly inserted his slick tongue inside her hot mouth, in a demanding dance, making her moan, and, as she anchored her arms to the back of his neck, and her hips started to swing rhythmically against his groin, he went ballistic.

One hand fisting in her hair, pulling her head backwards and the other tracing patterns on her inner thigh, fingers slowly rising to feel the wetness trickling down the burning skin, Ares murmured discreetly, planting hallucinatory kisses starting at her lips and travelling firmly towards her neckline and chest.

"How about a change of scenery?"

The zealous rush of excitement, pain, pleasure and almost every dirty little thought that exploded seductively into the intricate web of Xena's enthralling mind, body and soul were transmitted instantly across to the God of War, but being lost in the dreamy moment harshly came with its disadvantages when she awoke with an immediate jolt, feeling the weight of the world come rushing heavily back onto her bruised shoulders.

And the feeble look that was lingering inside her eyes said it all, before utter disgust quickly raced in to decorate her character as the erotic visions were forcefully shaken out of her head.

"Well that was fun, wasn't it Princess?" Ares thought aloud, smiling wickedly as closing the portal through which he was admiring the effects of Morpheus' new product — 'The Dream Teaser.'

One single drop of purple liquid on the 'Victim's' forehead, along with a silent wish, and the Subject's brain would instantly project the exact images that the one pouring the essence would envision that very moment.

It was a brilliant product indeed, and the God of War couldn't help laughing, thinking of the endless possibilities that its uses provided to him, and playing with Xena's head was on top of his list.

"I guess this means we'll be seeing a lot more of each other these days... well... nights." He added, raising an eyebrow, still pretty amused by the new twist of events, lifting the tiny bottle at eye level as to estimate for how long its contents would last.

Lazily stretched as usually on his ebony throne, his left leg hanging loosely on one side of it, Ares licked his lips as a marvellous idea clicked in some dark corner of his mind.

"Hallooo Blondie." He spat out sarcastically, a large grin on his face, rubbing his hands impatiently, as a round portal opened in front of him.

Back at camp, Gabrielle's eyelids refused to shut down. She was exhausted and yet, her mind was way too busy, replaying over and over again a particular series of images that were just driving her insane.

Finally, her tossing and turning woke Joxer up, and seeing her like that, so scattered and hurt, he couldn't help asking her, on a very cautious tone.

"Gabby... are you okay?"

"Okay!?" She shouted while making an effort to restrain herself from assaulting the poor guy, knowing that he was after all worried about her, and that he was not to blame for the whole mess.

"How could I be okay, Joxer? Would you be okay if you were me?"

A suspicious look on his face, the Warrior chuckled.

"Well, if I were you... which is obviously not to case, I'd be pretty shaken up. But if I were me, which is better from my point of view," he started blabbering. "Taking into account all the advantages of owning such a bright personality and such strong inner strength, steely..."

"What are you talking about Joxer?" The Bard silenced him abruptly, forcing him to stop his maddening ramble.

"Listen Gabby," the Warrior started gravely. "I just think you're making a fuss over nothing. So what if Xena and Ares had a thing... or two... or more, or..."

"I got the point already!" Gabrielle mumbled gnashing her teeth, her fists dangerously knotted.

"Yeah, so you know, that's not such a big deal, I mean it's all in the past."

"Not such a big deal?" Gabrielle replied, almost chocking on her answer. "Joxer, are you insane? This is Ares we're talking about! He's the reason Xena almost destroyed herself back then, he's the reason why she became the monster she used to be."

"And when I see the nerve he has to just pop out from nowhere and sweet talk her into his silly games, calling her 'Princess,' touching her, I can't stop feeling this wild impulse of strangling the Bastard!"

"Now, now Gabrielle, I know that Xena's your friend, but you have to admit that Ares is kinda'... good looking, well not as good as I am, I mean honestly, since you brought it up, if you take a glimpse at his flat arse, come on! Just take a good look at this sexy work of art." Joxer added while turning around and sensuously massaging his buttocks.

"Joxer..." Was all that the Bard got to say, eyes narrowed under the effect of a sharp, cutting anger stabbing inside her, before her Companion's monologue broke loose again.

"I know, I know, and it's okay to be jealous, many women are. I totally understand. I mean... look at me. What's not to like? Ares wouldn't stand a..."

The next second, the mighty Warrior was laying on the ground, rubbing his aching head, a puzzled look on his face, his eyes completely focused on decoding the now brightly coloured surroundings.

"Is that orange tree advancing or something?" Were the last words he said before falling into a deep peaceful slumber, leaving a half-satisfied Gabrielle behind.

* * *

**AN:** _Don't forget, we're offering a prize for whoever can answer the most questions on our Trivia list. __***hint***__ One of them is already hiding in the first couple of chapters!_


	8. Voice of Reckoning

**~ Chapter Eight ~**

**Voice of Reckoning**

* * *

"Just a dream..."

Repeating it slower or over and over didn't pitch a great deal of relief either, specifically when Xena winced, arresting a raunchy, vivid picture of Ares and herself indulging in a delirium of debauchery that was actively painting itself into a stimulating portrait right in front of the appalled look shifting disturbingly over her glazed vision.

_**I hear, a voice say "Don't be so blind"  
It's telling me all of these things  
That you would probably hide!  
Am I your one and only desire?  
Am I the reason you breathe,  
Or am I the reason you cry?**_

"Ugh!" A horrid moan of absolute repugnance was expelled in the midst of her tone as the whole disgusting show instigated an overwhelming stroke of nausea and repulse.

_**I love you!  
I hate you!  
I can't get around you!  
I breathe you,  
I taste you!  
I can't live without you!**_

Thankfully the incandescent streak of blinding sunlight streaming abundantly through the wisps of sheltered stalks proceeding from the masses of timber and foliage succeeded in finally hauling her backside out of the contented warmth the bedroll had offered, knowing it had been a peacefully rare occasion not to have a certain 'Bedroll Hog' stealing all her heat for once.

Gabrielle's former image played round-a-bout charmingly through the tangled thread of her subconscious, until a jarring ache of throe sliced indecently into her ivory flesh.

_**I just can't take anymore  
This life of solitude  
I guess that I'm out the door  
And now I'm done with you!**_

_**I wrap my hand around your heart  
Why would you tear my world apart?**_

Looking for the source became easier than she'd thought, as fingers zoned straight to the root, tracing lightly over a chromatic branding of mauve contusions featured artistically on her shoulder, only to be followed by brushing delicately against the rigid imprint of a subtle tooth-mark exhibited around the inside surface of her neck.

_**Always, always, always, always. **_

Thank Zeus for giving her lengthy brunet bangs as the sleek trestles where ardently flicked over to cloak the cryptic mystery, although a hunch profusely hummed through Xena's physique, attributed by a callous demeanour intent on crucifying the Bastard responsible.

_**I see, the blood all over your hands  
Does it make you feel, more like a man?  
Was it all, just a part of your plan?  
The pistols' shakin' in my hands  
And all I hear is the sound!**_

"Ares...!"

The sudden lack of appearance threw her off, even though the transparent sting of his energising force was rapidly speeding through her veins.

A translucent echoing of his mischievously bantering timbre calling her name softly, drifted freely around in the stratosphere, taking her by surprise.

"You haven't even got the guts to face me!" Came a scornful reply, sword now aimed threateningly outward as she slowly began to spin around, full attention of a narrowed gaze completely focused on attempting to pin point the God's invisible position within her current solitude.

_**I love you,  
I hate you,  
I can't live without you.  
**_

_**I just can't take anymore  
This life of solitude  
I pick myself off the floor,  
And now I'm done with you.**_

_**Always,**_  
_**Always,**_  
_**Always**_

"You're so beautiful when you're mad." A very passionate Ares uttered, stepping out of the ether, right behind her.

His face wreathed in a big grin, still under the effect of those arousing visions of her, half naked in his arms, the God gave Xena no time to react, and before she could even realize what was going on, he was already kissing lightly one of her bruised shoulders, while tenderly caressing the velvety skin of her arms, hands gliding gently towards her wrists.

Knowing her temper, he was well aware that it would only be a matter of seconds before he'd be punched in the face, hard enough as to remember every single detail about his mortal days.

So, as in a desultory attempt to distract her, he let a soft sigh escape his lips, positive that his anticipated denial would make things even worse.

"Who in Tartarus have you been fighting with Princess?" He managed to articulate on such an innocent tone, that made even himself burst into laughter, while the sexiest image of his body pressing hard upon Xena's against the back of the tree, his fingers deeply buried into her shoulders — the only space left between them being the one that his demanding lips were giving her when she needed to breathe — popped into his mind.

With the torrid heat of his breath barely grazing against the raw field of her shoulder, the sudden coolness of wet kisses soothing the tender flesh came quiet pleasantly as an alternative relief.

And Xena took it, presenting the short, deadened silence between them as a subtle hint that it had been more of an urgent requirement than anything else in this Zeus forsaken world.

It wasn't until the envelope was pushed dangerously into the abyss, the second she felt the tips of his amazingly gentle touch lightly running up and down her arms and the ringing laughter cutting swiftly through the silence, to give her the perfect opportunity to change the tactic around.

Swinging a powerful elbow backwards, the God seemed to have suddenly been caught off guard as the blow made contact with his guts, drowning out the high pitched laughter he appeared to have grown so accustomed to over the years.

Sneering pitilessly, she anticipating the event of reactions she might encounter next from Ares' broken pride.

"No-one in their right of mind would stand a chance getting this close to cause any damage." The cusp of a razor sharp blade rose boldly to prove a point as the Warrior acquired a firmer stance, letting her head cock slightly to the side when a notion dived deeply into her psyche.

"Which makes me wonder where you fit into all of this?" The words seared clearly across in the volume of her voice.

"Sweetie, Honey, I don't know what you are talking about, but you can dream about me fitting anywhere you'd like me to." Ares answered promptly, a dramatic tone in his voice.

And the sight of his eyes dropping coyly, along with some ridiculous batting of his lashes routine, adding the most adorable simper on his face to the mix, was guaranteed to soften any woman's heart, except Xena's of course.

Intently prolonging the moment, the very next second, he quickly covered his mouth with both of his hands, giggling softly just like some drunken hoe in some sleazy tavern at the outside of town.

"Oops! I guess that was a poor choice of words!" He went on drivingly, sarcasm pushing its way to his face, crushing itself right on top of Xena's 'You're such a dead God' expression.

Stupidity was definitely no label any Mortal or God could have ever stamped over the Warrior Princess though, having detected the innuendo of Ares' perved drift while an apocalyptic glare thundered freely across the high storms of her rugged blue seas.

"The only thing that'll be 'fitting' anywhere will be my foot ramming down your throat."

_"__This should be invigorating!__"_ He silently told himself, getting a glimpse at Xena's eyes, hate and repulsion spitting out of them like venom from a cobra's fangs.

_"__Come on Baby, you're almost there!__"_

Slowly removing his sword, the God started mockingly tracing the edgy contour of its silvery blade, inspecting it closely, raising questioningly an eyebrow in Xena's direction, before finally deciding to swing it into the air, slicing it rhythmically; forceful strikes blending in pure harmony with the sound of his Princess' sharp battle cry with his own rushing adrenaline.

"That's right Princess!" He shouted, intoxicated with the ambrosial flavour of the clashing blades. "Come to Daddy!"


	9. A Hustler's World

**~ Chapter Nine ~**

**A Hustler's World**

* * *

Agile reflexes were quiet the advantage as the weapons eerily sparked and scraped against one another, creatively marking the initial of Xena's name upon blocking his approaching attack.

Spying a faltered gap presented above the 'X' became the perfect opportunity to thrust a first forward, colliding it acutely with the God's face.

"That's not fair Xe!" Ares whimpered, still rubbing his nose, taken aback by the sudden punch that actually made him totter.

"I never hit you square in the face. It could leave a mark, ya' know!" He finished the sentence on a slightly grumbling tone, puppy eyes looking at her as if he were a naughty child scolded by his mother.

Can you say irresistible? But then again, with him everything was an act, and that was one of the main reasons he could not be trusted.

Xena always bore that in mind, unable to erase the countless times she had fallen for his silly routines only to end up hurt.

And now, the God could easily read in her incisive gaze, the amount of disdain, carefully gathered inside her throughout the years, still nesting in the depths of her heart, just waiting for the right moment to drown him in it, like a bottomless ocean.

He simply loathed the way things had gotten between them, all those God damn twists and turns in their relationship, their souls tainted by the deplorable agony that a myriad of stinging betrayals had caused.

But then again, with the risk of losing her for good, these were tough lessons that he needed to teach her, always reminding her in a way that the first rule of survival, if he wanted her alive for more than one tomorrow — "trust no one."

As an application to that very rule, taking advantage of the stormy wrath that was obviously messing with her brain that precise moment, turbid memories knocking dead the last glint of focus she had, he launched a full offensive; blazing sparks flying with each parry and hit, the distinctive sound of clashing metal plunging him into a peerless state of ecstasy.

Suddenly, all trace of reality started to melt somehow, and in the far away corners of the background, his entire being buckled into some sort of invincibility shield, his noxiousness reaching critical levels for any living and breathing thing, and that moment he knew...

For three winks, there was no more Xena, no more Ares, there were only two blades, crossing antagonistically 'till one of them would crack under the other's impact.

It was the sign of a merciless, uncontrollable fight, and for a second there, the God feared for his Princess's life, wondering if he would stop in time, before slashing her to pieces.

A double flip, and a series of quick blows to her back and stomach combined with a painful strike with the hilt of his sword dangerously near her right temple, ensured his so called victory.

The upcoming spin sent Xena flying the opposite side of their playground, her body smashing loudly against a boulder seconds after his left leg collided full force against her spine.

The cockiest grin shrouding his lips, he couldn't help bragging about it, his sardonic trademark tone reclaiming its rightful place on the scene.

"Uhh... what were you saying about anyone getting this close to cause any damage, Xena?"

But his face turned papyrus white when he noticed that his Princess wasn't flinching a muscle.

"Xena….? Sweetheart, are you okay?"

In the blink of an eye he was leaning over her limp corps, hysterically searching for any vital signs, every fiber of his body tensed as on the verge of snapping.

As she lay there motionless, the world instantly swallowed the meager amount of consciousness Xena had silently held onto, pulling its Victim into an infinite hole of black and white until completely drowning her in a plutonic darkness.

The coral thread now spilling from one side of her forehead, stained the God's hands as he gently pushed the dark locks out of her face, feverishly searching for any other severe injuries as a result of the lethal impact with the solid mass of granite.

Gliding across every inch of the surface of her body between her head and her bottom, his warm hands were roaming freely up and down his Princess' tempting body, with the only difference being the adrenaline rush flowing through his veins and almost completely blurring and distorting his view that moment, was not the result of some unbearable arousal, but of the unspoken terror of finding any fatal wounds that could have surpassed his healing powers.

The very idea of her life slipping away between his fingers, while helplessly watching her soul leave the Mortal world, was as excruciating to him as... only there was no 'as.'

When it came to Xena, any term of comparison would fade away in a flash.

His feelings for her were so strong that it hurt, and in his heart there wasn't anything in this damned universe that could at least come close to the undying obsession-love thing he had for her.

As if a huge weight was taken off his mind, he exhaled profoundly, a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding, when he found no sign of damaged organs or internal bleeding.

She had just passed out from the force of the impact, and the God couldn't help planting a delicate kiss on her swollen temple, silently thanking the Fates that there was no need to storm Hades' underground in order to find her and bring her back, causing yet another pointless and endless feud with the mighty Zeus himself, consequently stripping him from his Godhood for who knows how many decades, unable to protect his Chosen.

A bright alleviating amber halo was still streaming from his hands like some kind of a mild breeze, lowly vibrating against her bruised forehead, when, right out of the blue, a pair of strained eyes fluttered open, fixing him with a very familiar glare.

"You certainly took your sweet time coming back. Were you planning to give me a heart attack or something?"

Unfortunately though, without Athena's blessing, there was only so much Ares' powers could offer when they feebly dragged Xena back into the circumference of reality, allowing her to at least choke out a few muffled instructions about meeting the battling Duo in Corinth before suddenly slipping her into the gloomy pits of unconsciousness.

As much as he despised the irritating Blonde, barley repressing the barbarian instinct of smothering her with his bare hands every time he laid his eyes on her — that bloody Harpy, along with his mongrel Brother, being the main reason his Princess was no longer by his side — Ares knew better than to cross Xena.

And since she was still out of it, her mind completely disconnected, and to his much dislike still disturbingly weak, he decided it would be for the best if she rested somewhere safe, far from any harm's way, and Corinth was as good a place as any if he were there to watch over her.

Thinking about the Bard, he could already picture her heinous face when she'd see him holding Xena's limp body.

By Styx itself! Immortalising her reaction somehow as imagining her high-pitched voice, screaming violently, at the top of her lungs, her whole corps shaking like jelly, tears springing from her desperate eyes, uncontrollable sobs ready to explode from her throat, would worth all the dinars in the world, no doubt about it!

"Xena….? What happened? Ares what did you do to her?" It made him still believe that the Mortal world was not such a bad place after all.

_"__Oh yeah, and a classic it is.__"_ The God said to himself, snickering tawdrily while protectively encasing his Princess' flimsy body.

_"__Come on Xe. Let's get this show on the road! I don't know 'bout you, but I'll have a blast!__"_

All that being said, they both disappeared in a shower of blue light, making an appearance, seconds later, just outside Corinth, two feet away from a scandalised Bard and a dumbfounded Wannabe Warrior.

"Xena….? Ares, what happened? What did you do to her?" A horrified Bard shrieked, eyes ready to pop out of her head.

"Here we go, Sweet, just like I said." Ares smirked towards his still absent-minded Princess.

Joxer on the other hand was way too shocked to even conceive uttering anything, and when he finally got it out, picking up heart as a result of Gabrielle's volcanic reaction, his inflection modified perceptively from a normal tone to three muttered words, hardly audible, but ripping firmly on his rusty sword, a deadly expression glued on his face as if he were about to launch a full scale attack on the entire Amazon Nation itself.

"Wha… what's going on?"

"Are you blind Joxer!?" Gabrielle roared savagely, every muscle instinctively stiff and primed for action, feeling her heart smashing against her ribcage, as anger gradually clouded her mind to the point where she was about to catapult herself onto Ares' back.

Reading her ludicrous idea, the God couldn't help wondering if she was suicidal or just dumb, but for some erratic motive, the sight of her boiling mad and blowing off steam like a cauldron in Hephaestus' forge, amused him beyond words.

"Whoa there….! Take it easy Bard." He uttered, bursting convulsively in a cackling laughter.

"You might just pop an artery or something. Not that I'd be impressed by any means, but Joxer there, he would be wearing mourning for the rest of his dull, pathetic existence."

Her fists clenched, back arched, face a mask, Gabrielle stood her ground, struggling for control, but still, she thought twice before making her move, taking a guess about what the God's intentions truly were, when she detected the blue sphere already glowing inside his palm.

He only needed the tiniest excuse before crashing her against the city walls.

She was a smart girl, and despite the God's extensively cynical speech that she had to face each time he opened his useless mouth, she knew better.

No way in Tartarus was she planning on giving him that kind of satisfaction.

So instead of acting on her previous impulse, she advanced slowly 'till she faced him, and shooting him a short baleful glare she simply stated, wasting no words.

"If something happens to her, I'm gonna' kill you Ares."

"Spare me Blondie," Replied the mocking retort of the God, while rolling his eyes defiantly. "You couldn't kill a fly if it pooped on your nose."

"Try me!" Was all Gabrielle managed to say, on the verge of snapping, when she was abruptly cut off by Xena's deep wail.

"Xena….? Can you hear me?" The Bard murmured, frantically caressing her Friend's cheeks, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of her.

"Don't bother. She'll be out for the most part of the day. She needs to rest."

"What happened?" Came the husky inquiry of the Bard. "Is she gonna' be okay?"

Noticing the concern in her eyes, Ares decided to hold back a smart reply, saving it for a rainy day, aware of the fact that he needed to shelter Xena somewhere, before her condition got even worse.

He'd hardly managed to lighten her pain and her present state could easily deteriorate if she wasn't properly cared for.

The Halls of War would have been fine by him; she would have been exempted from all the wanton fuss and extra stress that the Blonde was going to serve her, but then again, Xena was as stubborn as her horse, so he had very limited options to work with.

Contemplating his Princess' body, her head resting peacefully against his chest, he spat out a brief and bitter answer, obviously afflicted by the very way it sounded.

"We had a fight. I lost my nerve. She has no severe injuries."

After a short pause that for him lasted like centuries he simply added, "We've got to get her out of the cold."

"You... You hit her!?" Gabrielle's jerky thoughts managed to surface the tip of her tongue, the entire landscape spinning like crazy while her brain was sedulously weaving an entire domestic violence type of scenario.

Quickly deciphering the paralysed look in the Bard's eyes, Ares was beginning to lose his composure.

"Of course I hit her. It was a ***sword*** fight. What'd you expect? Kissing….?" His irritated reply came, intentionally stressing the 'sword' part.

Swiftly brought back to reality, and still trying to regain her jagged breath, she answered promptly, her eyes avoiding the God's furious frown.

"There's a tavern not far from here. We could take her there 'till she's better."

With a silent nod Ares agreed with Gabrielle's proposal.

_"Now that's a first!"_ Joxer told himself, perplexed by the God's coact attitude, while still doing his best to find a point in all that fishy charade, that to him made no sense what so ever.

While still bugged by the weird sensation that there was something going on, a dizzy feeling overwhelmed him, followed by complete dimness all around, and the next thing he knew, was waking up in front of some cheesy looking tavern, his head on the verge of exploding from the tremendous pressure that was squashing his temples.

"This should be cosy enough." The God's voice echoed deridingly, not failing to see the Bard's gruff expression, deeply plunged in the knotty analysis of the almost dilapidated hovel before her.

"And whadd'ya know…? It even has a balcony for you two Lovebirds to catch the sunset." Ares went on blabbering, half amused, half annoyed that his Princess had to spend the night here.

"Shut up, Ares." The Bard hissed, gashing her teeth. "Let's just get her inside already!"


	10. Filthy Acquaintances

**~ Chapter Ten ~**

**Filthy Acquaintances**

* * *

From the distinctly audible sounds of harmonious chanting — presumably from a drunken mass of sickly, greedy Warlords and their disfigured quire of lackeys celebrating the many triumphs of merciless victories — it was clearly enough to convince the well-toned body of God to build the notion that perhaps a major costume change was in order if the company were to successfully acquire a position for the night.

With a crafty, imp-like fashion slowly etching across his features, it only took but a blink of a second and a dome of fireworks for their undoubtedly recognisable outfits to magically transform into something that perfectly set the scene they were about to enter.

The feral glower coming from Blondie, seemingly not amused by the God's rigid sense of comedic vogue was obviously written all over her face, as she was carefully examining the dull attire closely resembling that of a dusty old potato sack, compared to the dazzling apparel that now embellished his Godly character.

A short, crimson garment of satin, combined with two flowing veils in white didn't fail in capturing Xena's form either, as she lay limp in the warmth of Ares' arms.

Without further ado, the unlikely Gang were now heading into the shabbiest excuse for a tavern, its unruly stench surely enough to buy any sinner a one way ticket across Charon's barge and straight down a fiery river.

"Whatdd'ya want...?" Barked out one of the most gruffest of dialects to have ever passed into this Universe, as a bulky looking Bar-tender, easily mistaken for a heifer, gradually lumbered up to them.

Brushing the traces of probably week old material from his rusty beard, the Tender demanded on a somewhat high tone.

"What's wrong with ya' Woman?"

He was now straining over the counter, his beady eyes fixed on the image of Xena's breasts covered in nothing but only a thin layer.

As he advanced towards the centre of the room, and closer to the bar, Ares felt his nostrils violently raped by the horrid smell of alcohol and onion-like perspiration of that squalid bunch of desperately needing a bath, men.

A spasmodic inner squeeze of his stomach forced him to cover his mouth with his right hand, swallowing back some sort of honeyed liquid that tasted faintly like his favourite kind ambrosia and Dionysus' basil wine.

Seconds later, a bug-eyed Bard was storming out the door, her face as white as a sheet, and the God could tell, judging from the repugnant sounds she was making, that those weren't exactly the best two minutes of her life.

As she re-entered the door, looking as if she were on the brink of collapsing, still wiping some greenish spew from her lips, she stopped absent-mindedly next to the disgusted God, and, barely allowing her lungs to inhale the stench that was literally poisoning the air, she mumbled sluggishly, plugging her nose with the back of her hand.

"About that balcony... It's mine!"

As grossed out as he was, Ares couldn't help needling her, his face screwed up in a patronising smirk.

"Gee Blondie; I thought you hated the idea?" But a very convincing 'Don't make me puke on you God of War,' and a washed out expression to match her warning, reduced him to a simple, "Never mind."

The closure of that pointless controversy came quite in time actually, 'cause the Bar-tender's inherent curiosity was beginning to show, as the guy's bulky figure seemed to be snooping for information.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the smelly chunky Elephant was drooling in slow motion, even the last drop of the beer he had drunk that day, along with his saliva, while he was obnoxiously drowning his eyes between his Princess' mouth-watering breasts.

"A room!" Gabrielle's diffident voice echoed across the room, answering his question, rapidly tracing Ares' 'I'm gonna' crack your skull open and slice out your frickin' eyes' gaze, sharply directed towards the ill-fated Tender.

"We'd like a room."

"You horny little Tramp. I knew this place would turn you on!" The God exclaimed, loud enough for half the room to hear him out, most of those filthy brainwashed Losers turning around with the speed of light to check her out from head to toe and vice versa.

Then, turning briskly to face the already aroused caveman looking Creature, he added. "I'm tellin' yuh, she's quenchless. I made the deal of my life when I bought her from her former Master. He was desperate to sell her. She was sucking the life out of him."

With a satisfied grimace on his face, it took all of his Godly self-control to suppress a wave of hysterical laughter seeing the Blonde's frustrated expression.

While Gabrielle's colours were changing like the traffic lights, Joxer's jaw dropped to the floor, his low IQ refusing to help him understand the God's clever game plan.

"Hey Gabby..." He muttered, overthrown by the possibility. "Both you AND Xena were having sex with Ares?"

At that point, the Warrior's newly squashed nose started spritzing blood everywhere, which obviously ended for him in less than 10 seconds, with a total blackout.

Pretending he hadn't heard the Bar-tender's last assertion, Ares ordered two rooms, one for him and his sexy Concubine, which according to him was still exhausted from the last round of wild sex he'd gifted her, and one for his pestering Slaves.

"You're lucky, these are the last two rooms I have available." The grossly bovine Tender croaked, handing two metallic keys across the counter while pointing a finger up at a slightly fractured flight of stairs leading into a broad corridor above.

"Obviously, as you can see." A slimy looking grin gradually crawled over his grotesque dial when he motioned slowly towards an abundant assortment of thugs marvelling over the intoxicating flavour of beer beverages, while being entertained by a fist full of barely clad, dancing harlots.

"Looks like your Whore's starting to come around." He observed, letting those beady little eyes roam rabidly towards the effeminate bundle secured protectively within the God's grasp.

"With a body like that..." His brows raised sensuously, as a blatant streak alerted all within earshot. "Why, she'd be useful both day and night!"

With a quick wink and some choking laughter, he generously offered to escort them to their rooms.

"You'd better watch that one; she looks like she might bite!?"

A seductive growl rumbled deeply as he tapped her backside, sending Gabrielle shooting like a star up the last few levels of stairs; Joxer's meaty head clunking loudly as it hit the final one.

Opening the doors and placing a hand firmly on Ares' shoulder, Blubber Boy leaned in close, the redolence of beer wafting clearly through his breath as his eyes wandered back towards Xena.

"What did you pay for her?"

"Not that it is any of your concern, but... nothin' much. She was too drunk and in the mood to think about money!"

"Yeah, obviously... Anyway, bar's always open." Gruffy nodded, finally leaving the Group to their own business.

A gentle moan had now tumbled from Xena's mouth, when the full effect of consciousness rudely dragged her back into the blinding light, baby blues drinking in the spectrum of a new environment as she slowly propped herself up on the bed, calling softly for Gabrielle until she caught a blurred glimpse of an advancing potato sack rushing anxiously over to a flat decked balcony and sucking in a gigantic lungful of air.

"New wardrobe, huh?" Xena cooed, the smallest trace of a playful smirk branching silently across her face.


	11. Lovesick

**~ Chapter Eleven ~**

**Lovesick**

* * *

On the opposite side of the room, buried in an hundred years old armchair, ready to crack under his weight, Ares was still fighting the consuming urge of descending downstairs, back to that stinky joint to grab the Tender's nape and hit his head against the bar's counter until his brain drained through his eyes and ears, before tearing his body to pieces and scattering them all across the room, repainting the whole place with his infamous blood.

_"__That insolent Hippopotamus, how dare he talk about my Princess like that? I should have squashed him like an insect that very moment, and ripped his tongue out! By all cosmos, I swear on my Godhood, before we leave this place, he'll be gutted like a fish, head decorating the front porch!__"_

Two seconds later, a discoloured painting, depicting someone's extremely ugly Grandmother, vanished, right before Gabrielle's eyes, leaving a fresh hole in the wooden wall, which allowed the sun to project a warm, glowing light inside the dusty room, revealing the broken gauzy strands of cobwebs covering the dour furniture.

_"Almost as ugly as her nephew__... a very special family indeed.__ Well Granny, cheer up! Hope your birthday's coming up soon, 'cause I'll be sending you a very special gift." _Ares thought, gushing from his chair.

"What's wrong with you?" The Bard roared, scrunching her eyes, still under the shock of sensing a fireball flying right on top of her head, the smell of burnt bristle filling the room with a new, unique type of funk.

"Chill out Blondie! I thought you needed some air. I was just trying to be considerate ya' know?" The God replied mockingly, getting close enough to the brink as to have a broader perspective on the ravishing landscape enfolding on the other side of the wall.

"Considerate my arse!" Gabrielle articulated, pulling a serious quantity of air into her lungs, ready to start a flat-out offensive against the conceited God, and she was just about to do that when Xena's slightly amused voice commented something about her sapless wardrobe.

With a jolt, the Bard was right beside her Friend, sparkling eyes meeting the other, softer pair of blue.

"Xena...? Are you okay? How do you feel? Can I get you something? Are you in pain or anything?"

"No she's not, but she will be soon if you don't stop climbing on her like a bloody creeper! You're choking her!"

Biting hard into her lip before drawing a hand across the air, fingertips pressing lightly against her lips as to silence the talkative Bard, Xena sluggishly began to ascend from the bed with a faintly tense grumble.

The solemn glance skipping across the room only heightened her mood when she immediately picked up on Ares' temper, the promising idea of twenty questions becoming as tediously draining as it was for him.

"No, I'm fine." The soothing tone glided gently across the breeze, easing the scene for a beat, until driving her visage into a series of entertaining expressions, aiming to put the pieces of puzzle together.

"What's the matter? Can't get your rocks off?" A quizzically teasing request was raised; Xena's gaze deliberately eying the wall of a new window torn into the building.

"That would be something." Executed the Bard's brassy reply, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Actually, he's just inconsolable 'cause ***I*** didn't let him butcher the Bar-tender." She added, thoroughly stressing the 'I'.

Precisely on the verge of entering the room, Joxer inspiringly stopped in mid-step, totally unprepared to witness the God of War's anger crisis, and studying closely his expression, his usually sleeping brain, which was most of the time flawlessly imagining a totally different reality than the right one, associated it correctly this time with that of a fire breathing dragon, and drew the fairest conclusion of his life.

_"Oh... Oh! Bad timing! Really, really bad timing!"_

And when three pairs of exasperated eyes switched direction, looking his way, he just waved his hand casually and rushed out the door, adding a plain, "Don't mind me! I'll just go check... on the weather or something?" before slamming it shut behind him.

The next second, an exceedingly pissed off God was walking towards the talkative Bard, and, snatching up his sword, he pointed it impedingly, inches from her neck.

"Don't push it Blondie, or the next time you open your mouth you'll be feeding Charon nighty night stories on your free joyride to Tartarus!"

And then, only above a murmur he added abruptly, his almost infernal eyes piercing her with a deadly glare, one that he knew Xena would recognise in a heartbeat while the Tender's words were still echoing inside his ears like drums.

"I've killed men for way less than that."

As quick as a hare, Xena was already onto the scene, her face lacking any suggestion of hesitance whatsoever when her figure was placed defensively between the Bard and the God.

"That sword had better be for someone else!" She growled, glaring dangerously when its angle was slightly elevated, outlining delicately over her collar bones, tempting her to have a crack at him.

"Oh, trust me Princess, it is." Ares mumbled under his breath, placing his sword back into its sheath.

"No point wasting my divine energy on this... empty headed... Shrew, is there?" He concluded, unable to keep the teasing out of his voice.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to attend, so I guess I'll be leaving you to your boring chit chat, girl thing, whatever you enjoy doing." The God announced, ready to zap himself out of the ether, when a horrified Gabrielle firmly grabbed his hand, forcing him to turn around and face her.

"Ares wait! You're gonna' kill the Bar-tender aren't you?"

"What in Zeus' name is wrong with you Blondie? Are you having a crush on him or something?" The God barked, shaking her hand off. "Of course I'm gonna' smother the Bastard. Now lay off me, will you?"

"Ares, come on." The Bard almost implored, her consciousness screaming like crazy that she was about to witness the murder of a blameless man. "He's but a disgustingly stupid innocent Man. How was he supposed to know that Xena..."

And right out of nowhere, the God's features bore no more trace of human feelings what so ever, his eyes turning from their normal soft brown nuance to an intense coal black that could have scared the life out of every breathing thing, each muscle in his body flexed as if he were about to fight an army of Titans and Harpies all together.

A mesmerising aura of pure evil and death were radiating out of him like a compact energetic wave, paralysing Gabrielle's reactions and mind, beyond her wildest imagination.

"DO NOT defend that Scum in front of me Bard!" He uttered on a dangerously low voice, a hand firmly gripping her throat. "Or there will be two decapitated heads decorating the porch tomorrow."

Before Xena could even get the chance to react, he had already vanished, leaving a completely bewildered Gabrielle lying on the floor, swallowing hard, trembling like a hunted pray.

"D... d... did you see that Xena? He wanted to kill me! He... he's a monster. His eyes... you've got to stop him."

Swallowing sturdily, her jaw slightly ajar and uttering a handful of words, Xena began to carve the lines of a rocky assumption.

"Trust me, if he meant it..." Her speech hardened, undeniably certain of the truth. "...you'd be dead already."

Regrettably she simply sighed; head tilted slightly towards the ground, imaging the giant catapult of raging fury the young woman was about to unleash as the final sentence left her lips.

"I can't Gabrielle."

"What do you mean you can't!?" An astonished Gabrielle exclaimed, jumping to her feet as though a spark had ignited inside her. "Of course you can. I've seen you fight Ares dozens of times Xena, remember?"

But suddenly, while her brain was replaying in slow motion some of Xena and Ares' fighting scenes, elaborately doing a full analysis of her Friend's current reaction, an irking suspicion began to creep inside her mind.

There was more to it than met the eye, she could tell, but what?

Why did the God have this kind of reaction for some senseless words coming from a lousy Bar-tender, who genuinely thought that Xena was... well... exactly who Ares had introduced her to be... his Whore?

She was not blind, defend a woman's honour was one thing, especially if one happened to care for that particular Woman; butchering an innocent victim on the other hand was a totally different story, and all this was a far cry from it.

That raging hate in his glare, the darkness bursting from within him... Gabrielle felt her body shivering only thinking about it.

It was like he could have disintegrated her soul just by looking at her.

"Xena..." The Bard started, fatigue beginning to show on her features. "This doesn't make any sense. Ares skinning alive some mumbling Idiot just because he called you a 'Whore,' and playing all this hero routine? I mean, come on!"

"And his face...? Let's put it nicely and say it wasn't like his usual bad mood kind of day. So what am I missing here? And please don't start again with the 'Gabrielle you could never understand' line, 'cause I don't even wanna' go there."

Apparently calm, and still playing it cool, the Bard's patience was actually wearing thin, and the secret behind the entire situation, Xena's reluctance to speak, Ares... she was in fact about to blow, and the overall facade was in fact the calm before the storm.

"This isn't about fighting, don't you see?" Xena paced, surely Gabrielle was starting to glue it all together by now?

The pressing question looming at the edges of her mind suddenly jumped back and forth between worlds, wondering if she'd really managed to inspire that change Ares had spoken so often to her about.

If anything, now would be the perfect opportunity to prove her wrong by letting the Slimy Bastard go for the sake of losing the only thing that had ever brought out the very best in her, knowing tarnishing the strong connection shared with the Blonde would dash any chance of her ever letting him into her life again.

"Of course it's not about fighting Xena." Gabrielle spat on a rather high pitched tone.

"It would have been far too easy if it were all about that wouldn't it?" She finished, almost choking on the last part.

Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head away from her Friend, avoiding somehow to look inside her eyes, knowing she wouldn't find any answers there, aware that their magnetising spectrum of blue was as deceiving as chimeras in a lonely, arid desert.

As if in great pain, she sat down on the nearest side of the bed, head in her hands, and all of the sudden she felt herself empty, so empty, as she had never been before.

It was a void able to engulf the entire cosmos and it stunned her to realize that she hadn't experienced a similar nothingness before, not even when Hope died and her heart seemed to have died along with her daughter.

She parted her lips to say something, but found she couldn't.

Her voice failed her and seemingly all words were stumbling somewhere inside her throat, refusing to perform any articulation what so ever.

When she finally gathered enough strength to speak, her eyes pinning the floor, she almost spat them out, and it seemed to her that it took all of her remaining energy to utter them.

"It's about Love. We are all hurting out of love. And the strange thing is that the same love that bonds us so closely can be the source of so much pain. The love-obsession thing, call it however you like, that Ares obviously has for you... your, umm... feelings for him... Us..." An almost unperceivable tear rolled down her cheek, washing a glimpse of that cruel suffering along with it.

"And you're taking his side on this... after all you've been through because of him? Xena... I can't stop asking myself... are you for real? So I'm asking you one last time. What in Tartarus is going on here?"

_"Aressss..." _

As usually Xena's tempting voice had the effect of pure electricity spreading inside him, vibrating right through his heart and soul like a million silver bells, and he just stopped dead in his tracks, enjoying the exquisite pleasure that the unique mixture of notes in her tone was offering him.

How did she always manage to induce him this hallucinating sensation was far beyond any knowledge or understanding he might have possessed, but the contrasts echoing from each sound that left her luring lips could enslave his will at any time, despite his sometimes atrocious efforts to prevent it.

_"Aressss..." _

Her voice was so strong and clear that it could cut steel and iron right through, but there was much more about it... some extra bubbles of charm, softness, mystery and magic, like some kind of melody in which you'd let your spirit loose, no questions asked, no second thoughts about it.

But now, there was something else too.

He could sense the anxiety jamming the prefect modulation that was bursting throughout their bond.

He smiled enigmatically, and stepped into the ether, appearing by Xena's side seconds later, a quizzical look on his face, and a quick once-over was enough to know what was going on.

Still, almost formally, he addressed her. "Yes Princess. What is it that you need?"


End file.
